Spooked

Smokey crouches down when a storm comes.

On the hunt

Have you ever seen the Discovery Channel series Naked and Afraid? For each episode, man and a woman are dropped off in some remote place without any clothes and with very few tools for a month. During this month, they have to build shelter and fire and find water and food to survive until they are rescued at the end of the month. It was pretty interesting. At first you expect there to be hanky panky what with a naked man and woman stuck together, but the struggle to survive wins over any initial sexual attraction. 

One of the women on the show was an expert hunter. I have never been hunting so it was an eye opening experience. Turns out you spend much of your time hunting waiting. And waiting. And waiting. She didn't catch anything, but she explained that in hunting you watch quietly. 

Watching quietly must be Smokey's strategy. Can you spot the cat? 

"I come out the other side. I am done hunting for now."

When people walk by...

Smokey crouches down. 

I sit on things 6

 "Hm. What can I play with here?"

 bat bat bat bat bat

"That was fun."

Smokey's neighbors

This is Sammo. I mentioned Sammo in a previous post.

This is Toro. He is Sammo's housemate.

Toro loves Smokey, but Smokey does not love Toro. Ever since Smokey moved in next door, Toro has looked forward to going home at the end of walks because that means he gets to sniff out Smokey's scent outside our door. They have met dog to cat several times and Smokey is not a fan. Toro is just too eager beaver for this cool cat. So Smokey hisses at Toro to keep his distance, at which point Toro sobers up from the disappointment that the cat does not share his desire to become friends.

I can see where Smokey's coming from. How would you feel if someone rushed at you and pushed himself or herself in your face every time you meet?

"This dog is too much."

Cat beard fail

Apparently there is this cat beard meme going around. The following is a failed attempt at the cat beard. 

In case you were wondering, Smokey was not amused.

The cat and the tree

Yes. Smokey climbed a tree. 

Can you believe I was taking pictures instead of trying to get him down? This is not the first time Smokey has jumped up a tree. The other times, he aborted halfway. This time he kept going up. Maybe it was time to clip his nails? 

Up he goes.  

He just kept going up.

Smokey doesn't look scared at all does he? In fact, I would say he was enjoying himself as he meandered up the tree branch and gnawed on some little twigs on the way. Meanwhile, I am down below, exhorting him to come down (and, ahem, taking photos). A neighbor came by and said that the scene looked like the classic little girl standing below a tree trying to get her cat down.

At least we didn't have to call the firefighters. Smokey came down himself, easy peasy.

I'm not sure I would let Smokey go up again, but then I'm not sure how I can prevent him from climbing the tree...just like I can't seem to prevent him from going under cars.

The cat

The target

The tree

Anyone remember the time Smokey sized up the box? Well, here is he sizing up a tree. 

Can I trust him?

Does anyone have any tips for training cats to NOT go under cars? Cuz Smokey is going under cars again. 

Since Smokey was busy hunting, I felt I could trust him long enough to go inside and grab something from the apartment. I came back to witness this scene: 

Smokey walking straight down the sidewalk = Smokey wants to go under a car. 

 "Oh, you spotted me."

"Damn. I can't go under a car now."